According to sentinel surveillance data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the 29th week of 2026 (July 13 to 19), the COVID-19 test positivity rate in China surpassed that of influenza, remaining the leading respiratory pathogen for several consecutive weeks.
In the first half of 2026, the proportion of Chinese homeowners over the age of 60 listing their properties for sale soared to 22.7%, a significant increase from 11.3% in 2022.
On September 21, homeowners of Shengshijindu Estate in Chengdu's Tianfu New Area gathered to protest, accusing the developer of using banned techniques during tap water pipe construction, which polluted the water supply and threatened residents' health. After previous multi-party coordination failed, homeowners demanded a property refund on-site.
On September 21, due to four years of unpaid wages for migrant workers at the Zhaotong Sunac Jiutangfu project, workers dismantled the previously installed aluminum panel materials on-site, with multiple law enforcement officers and workers present to observe.
On September 17, at the entrance of the Huazhang Xuanhua Computing Power Hub Industrial Base in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, multiple migrant workers hung a banner reading "Please pay last year's arrears of migrant workers' wages," publicly demanding their unpaid labor compensation.
On September 16, the homeowners association of Phase II of Xinghai Mingcheng in Beihai, Guangxi held a vote-counting box opening ceremony. Due to residents not participating in the vote, the scene faced strong boycotts. Residents immediately questioned the staff for staging a self-directed performance, exposing that the election process involved no voting and was purely a fabricated formality of public will.
On September 15, The Wall Street Journal published an article pointing out that while China can avoid a sudden financial crisis through its state-controlled financial system, the losses from real estate and bank bad loans will not disappear. Economist Michael Pettis believes that the losses will be borne by ordinary residents in the long run through low deposit returns and shrinking asset values, rather than manifesting in public forms such as bank failures.
September 14, Guangdong Shenzhen Jindi Center, multiple migrant workers went to the building to protest over unpaid wages. The workers said that before protesting they had completed legal procedures such as filing lawsuits and arbitration and had won, but still have not received the owed wages.
On September 14, 2026, multiple workers at the Guangdong Zhuhai Hengqin International Business Center, after more than three months of wage arrears, collectively went to the company to sit in protest and defend their rights.
Contractors for the China Co-op Wenxi Mansion project in Jishou City, Hunan Province, hung banners in front of the marketing center demanding payment after the developer defaulted on their payments.
On the evening of September 12, 2026, homeowners in the Cuiping Bay community of Baqiao District, Xi'an protested against unreasonable property fee charges. Video from the scene shows the owners shouting "Is there any law?" before police used violent methods to maintain order and arrested several protesters. The incident was shared online by netizens, who accused the police of abusing their authority.
On September 9, multiple workers from the Longhu Shangcheng project in Xianyang, Shaanxi, went to the sales office to demand payment of overdue wages, but were blocked outside the door by security guards.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Turkey's Golden Global Bank and its subsidiaries, accusing them of providing money laundering and correspondent banking services for oil trade between the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Chinese Communist Party, cutting off Iran's financial lifeline in Turkey.
On the 50th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, CCP leader Xi Jinping was absent from the commemorative activities, with Premier Li Qiang attending on his behalf to conduct inspections, offer condolences, and present a flower basket.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he has convened a 'deep strike' meeting and updated the list of priority targets for long-range sanctions against Russia, with Ukrainian military strike capabilities now exceeding 3,000 kilometers.